Stress Busters

Occasional pressure is part of any job, but how you deal with it is what matters most. Here are 10 stress-busting tips :

- Have a cup of water. Water is the essence of life and staying hydrated will help in calming nerves.

- Read a chapter in a book. Or if you’re not much of a novel page-flipper, turn to a favorite magazine. Reading different material other than work, helps to introduce new thoughts.

- Draw a stick figure. Think back to how much fun you had as a child drawing to your heart’s content. Acting childish through sketches boost creativity.

- Close your eyes. It’s far easier to clear one’s mind when the visual sense is shut off.

- Listen to a song. Queue your favorite Tom Jones track and drift off momentarily to a land of the imaginary.

- Eat a piece of fruit. Our bodies need simple sugars to function well. Fruit has these and so much more. The power of naturally-occurring vitamins is uber beneficial.

- Write a note to a friend. On break, take 5 minutes to take out a pen paper. Don’t turn to e-mail; make sure this will get licked, stamped, and mailed.

- Go for a walk. Exercise increases blood flow and iron levels; both of which boost energy.

- Visit a new corner of your floor. Monotony is a leading cause of frustration. Touring the neighboring department will open your eyes to something new.

- Look through a window. A different view (with natural light) will relax the mind.

Now obviously, just one or a combination of these may not completely rid your system of stress. But, you can be sure that they will always lessen the amount of immediate pressure you might be feeling during the day.

Author: ModWork'r

Beras Perang Sebagai Makanan Kesihatan Jantung

Beras putih yang kebanyakan kita makan setiap hari adalah hasil dari beras perang yang dikisar, keadaan dimana bahagian isi (kernel) membuang lapisan kulit dan kemudiannya dihaluskan dengan menyingkirkan lapisan subaleron.

Proses pengisaran dan penghalusan ini memusnahkan sehingga 67% vitamin B3, 80% vitamin B1, 90% vitamin B6, 50% mangan dan fosforus, keseluruhan fiber dan 100% asid lemak esensial.

Manfaat kesihatan dari makanan yang mengandungi fiber tinggi amatlah banyak, antaranya ia menurunkan kemungkinan penyakit jantung, membantu menghindari peningkatan kadar gula darah secara mendadak, membantu penghadaman, mengurangkan sembelit dan lain-lain.

The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pada Mei 2008 meluluskan label kesihatan jantung diberikan pada kebanyakan produk bijirin, termasuk beras perang. Produk bijirin ini mengandungi fiber terlarut, dimana ia akan mengikat kolesterol dan mencegahnya dari diserap oleh usus dan masuk ke dalam aliran darah. Ikatan ini menurunkan kadar kolesterol dan membantu menurunkan risiko penyakit jantung koronari. Anda boleh menbaca mengenai panduan baru ini di FDA's website.

Pakar nutrisi dan diet kini lebih banyak menyarankan beras perang sebagai sumber yang terbaik dari keseluruhan nutrisi.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids & Complications Of Obesity

According to a recent study, diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids protect the liver from damage caused by obesity and the insulin resistance it provokes.

Ana González-Périz and colleaques found that two types of lipids in omega-3 fatty acids—protectins and resolvins— can actually reduce the instance of liver complications, such as hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance, in obese people.

To reach this conclusion, they studied four groups of mice with an altered gene making them obese and diabetic. One group was given an omega-3-enriched diet and the second group was given a control diet. The third group was given docosahexaenoic acid, and the fourth received only the lipid resolvin. After five weeks, blood serum and liver samples from the test mice were examined. The mice given the omega-3-rich diet exhibited less hepatic inflammation and improved insulin tolerance. This was due to the formation of protectins and resolvins from omega-3 fatty acids.

Eat more fish, supplement this with encapsulated omega-3 fish oil, if you want to but you should still exercise and eat wisely to bring your bodyweight to healthy limits.

Journal Reference:

Ana González-Périz, Raquel Horrillo, Natàlia Ferré, Karsten Gronert, Baiyan Dong, Eva Morán-Salvador, Esther Titos, Marcos Martínez-Clemente, Marta López-Parra, Vicente Arroyo, and Joan Clària. Obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis are alleviated by -3 fatty acids: a role for resolvins and protectins. Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, February 23, 2009 as doi: 10.1096/fj.08-125674

Periodontal Disease and Prostatitis

Periodontitis produces high inflammation levels and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Periodontitis or gum disease is caused by plaque accumulation on the teeth and around the gums. This plaque build-up will eventually harden, in as little as two to three days time, and remain on the teeth and around one’s gum line. The plaque consists of bacteria that cause the gums to become inflamed, to swell, to become sore or tender, and when gingivitis sets in, one’s teeth can bleed when touched or brushed.

Periodontitis is an extreme form of gum disease that can harm gingival tissues, that can injure or harm bone, and that can loosen teeth and cause them to fall out over time.

Prostatitis is a disease that affects one’s prostate gland and that can result in pain during urination, significant groin discomfort, abdominal pain, lower back pain, discomfort in the perineum, and penile and testicular pain as well. Prostatitis is also associated with the onset of a high fever, gastrointestinal difficulties, and chills in some cases too.

The general causes cited for the onset of prostatitis include immune system difficulties, disorders of the nervous system, emotional stress, injury to the prostate, and infection.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center report initial results from a small sample that inflammation from gum disease and prostate problems just might be linked.

Thirty-five men with mild to severe prostatitis, who had undergone needle biopsies and were found to have inflammation and in some patients, malignancies were selected for the study.

The researchers compared two markers: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) used to measure inflammation levels in prostate disease, and clinical attachment level (CAL) of the gums and teeth, which can be an indicator for periodontitis.

A PSA elevation of 4.0 ng/ml in the blood can be a sign of inflammation or malignancy. Patients with healthy prostate glands have lower than 4.0ng/ml levels. A CAL number greater than 2.7 mm indicates periodontitis.

The participants were divided into two groups: those with high PSA levels for moderate or severe prostatitis or a malignancy and those with PSA levels below 4 ng/ml. All had not had dental work done for at least three months and were given an examination to measure the gum health.

The results showed that subjects having co-morbidity of CAL ≥2.7 mm and moderate/severe prostatitis have higher PSA levels than those with either condition alone.

In essence, when a man has periodontal disease he can worsen a condition like prostatitis and that gum disease contributes to the severity of prostatitis.

Gum disease is absolutely preventable if a person partakes of excellent oral hygiene practices. If gum disease occurs, the condition can be treated too, and the sooner such a condition is treated the better.

Getting quality care for gum disease cannot only vastly improve one’s oral health, but it can reduce the likelihood that one will develop complications with heart conditions or, as it is the case with men, it can minimize the severity of prostatitis and/or help prevent its onset.

Reference:

Joshi et al. Association Between Periodontal Disease and Prostate Specific Antigen Levels in Chronic Prostatitis Patients. Journal of Periodontology, 2010; 100409084221025 DOI:

World Dental Org

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Zestz for LAUGHS

Man went to the chemist to buy 1/4 of a Viagra.
Chemist said "It would be useless."
Man said, "I am 90, sex is out of question, I just want to stop peeing on my shoes".

Reporter: Your secretary said publicly that you have a small pen*s, would you care to comment on this?
Man: "The truth is that she has a big mouth!"

What is the similarity between a swimming pool and a wife?
For both, we pay high maintenance for the little time we spend in them.

Love is a complicated piece of machinery.
Sometimes, all you need is a good screw to fix it.

What's the difference between biology and sociology?
When the baby looks like his dad or mom, then it is biology.
When the baby looks like the neighbor, then it is sociology.

Whoever first said that "A dog is man's best friend" has never seen a pussy before.

Dracula asked God, "May I be reincarnated as a white angel with wings and still suck blood?"
God said, "Okay" and Poof! Dracula turned into a sanitary pad".

Authors unknown

Statins May Lower Male Sex Drive

Statin therapy prescribed to lower cholesterol also appears to lower testosterone, according to a new study that evaluated 3,484 men, average age 51, who had erectile dysfunction or ED.

Giovanni Corona and colleagues emphasized they have found a link, not a cause and effect, between statins and lower testosterone. They can't explain the link with certainty.

Of that total, 244, or 7%, were being treated with statins for their high cholesterol. Most often the statin was simvastatin (Zocor) or atorvastatin (Lipitor).

The researchers calculated the men's total testosterone as well as free testosterone, the amount of unbound testosterone in the bloodstream.

When they compared men on statins to those not, the men on statins were twice as likely to have low testosterone, regardless of which of three commonly used thresholds for low testosterone they looked at.

One possibility, Corona says, is that low testosterone levels and the need for statin treatment share some common causes.

One U.S. study, reported in 2007 by the New England Research Institutes, did find lower levels of testosterone in a general population of men taking statins. But detailed analysis of the data found that the reduced levels could be explained by other factors, such as obesity and diabetes, rather than statin use.

Some researchers also have looked at the possibility that the statins' inhibition of cholesterol synthesis may interfere with the production of testosterone, which depends on a supply of cholesterol. The statins may disrupt "the body's feedback to the testicles telling them to produce testosterone."

The take home message for those of us on statins:

Pay attention to early warning signs of testosterone deficiency. That includes falling asleep after meals when they did not in the past, noticing poorer athletic performance, having a change from an upbeat mood to a grumpy mood, and experiencing a reduced sex drive.

If you suspect testosterone deficiency, ask your doctor about checking your testosterone levels. Do not stop your statins!

And do not stop exercise and eating wisely.

Journal Reference

Giovanni Corona, Valentina Boddi, Giancarlo Balercia, Giulia Rastrelli, Giulia De Vita, Alessandra Sforza, Gianni Forti, Edoardo Mannucci, Mario Maggi. The Effect of Statin Therapy on Testosterone Levels in Subjects Consulting for Erectile Dysfunction. J Sex Med. 2010 Feb 5. [Epub ahead of print]

Hall SA, Page ST, Travison TG, Montgomery RB, Link CL, McKinlay JB. Do statins affect androgen levels in men? Results from the Boston area community health survey. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Aug;16(8):1587-94.

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Brown Rice and Cardiovascular Protection

Brown rice may have an advantage over white rice by offering protection from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries").

The layer located between the white center of the rice grain and brown outer layer is called the subaleurone layer.

Researchers led by Satoru Eguchi suggest that a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II.

Angiotensin II is endocrine protein that causes smooth muscles surrounding blood vessels to contract, thereby narrowing blood vessels. This narrowing increases the pressure within the vessels and can cause high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

The team removed the subaleurone layer from a variety of brown rice (Kinmemai) and separated its different components. The components were then introduced to cultures of smooth muscle cells from blood vessel walls.

They discovered that subaleurone components that were separated using ethyl acetate inhibited angiotensin II activity in the muscle cell cultures, which suggests that the brown rice components offer protection against high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

Indeed there is a class of antihypertensive drugs called Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs) which prevents angiotensin II from binding to angiotensin II receptors on blood vessels. As a result, blood vessels dilate and blood pressure is reduced.

Choosing brown rice over white is only a small step toward promoting a healthy heart. It is not a alternative to prescription antihypertensive medication.

But here are a few more things you can do, in addition to medication, to bring the high blood pressure levels down:

1. Adopt a Healthier Diet to Reduce Blood Pressure
2. Reduce Intake of Salt to Bring Down Hypertension
3. Increase Exercise Levels and Lose Weight to Fight High Blood Pressure
4. Modify Sleep Habits to Sleep Early and Reduce Hypertension
5. Release Stress and Tension and Bring Down Blood Pressure

Journal Reference:

Akira Takaguri, Hirotoshi Utsnomiya, Ryohei Kono, Shin-ichi Akazawa and Satoru Eguchi. An ethyl acetate extract from a subaleurone layer of Japanese rice inhibits angiotensin ll–induced signal transduction and hypertrophy in vascular smooth muscle cells. The FASEB Journal online April 2010 ahead of print

CHOBE MASTER instant brown rice cereal comes in 40gm sachet for those on the run.

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